US auto safety regulators gave Tesla a five-week extension in its Full Self-Driving probe, Reuters reported. Regulatory pressure is colliding with pre-earnings positioning, forcing unresolved approval processes into late February.
With Tesla shares lacking direction into earnings, the FSD probe extension keeps a regulatory overhang in focus rather than clearing it.
NHTSA had opened an evaluation and sent Tesla a broad information request tied to alleged traffic violations with FSD engaged. That structure concentrates discretion at the agency, while the company waits for a timeline reset. NHTSA extended Tesla's response deadline to February 23 after Tesla requested more time. The probe examines whether vehicles violated traffic laws while Full Self-Driving was engaged.
Tesla shares have been struggling for direction ahead of earnings later this month. NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation in October and sent a sweeping information request in December. The request sought data on consumer complaints, field reports, crashes, lawsuits, and internal assessments. According to NHTSA the Office of Defects Investigation framed the PE25012 inquiry around signal and lane-marking response. "If Tesla finds that it is unable to provide all of the information requested within the time allotted, Tesla must request an extension", said Peter Kivett, Chief, Vehicle Defects Division C (Office of Defects Investigation) at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), according to NHTSA ODI letter.
The extension delays clarity on the investigation, limiting any near-term resolution ahead of earnings, while NHTSA keeps PE25012 open. Tesla said it needed time to manually review thousands of records and cited 8,313 remaining records, as February 23 approached. NHTSA said it received 62 complaints and identified additional media and crash reports potentially tied to the issue, while also collecting crash reports. Meta narratives do not matter here, because the docket controls what questions can close. Meta's 20-year PPA is a contract, but Oklo's NRC docket is the schedule.
When NHTSA determines Tesla’s FSD behavior may not sufficiently adhere to traffic-safety norms, Tesla has previously used a voluntary recall via OTA update. Tesla voluntary recall of certain vehicles with Full Self-Driving Beta began remedy delivery March 6, 2023 after a Feb. 16, 2023 announcement. NHTSA’s ODI letter cited 62 complaints plus 14 Standing General Order crash reports and 4 media reports, expanding the evidentiary set. Tesla cited multiple simultaneous NHTSA investigations as a burden, while managing PE25012 responses. The extension structurally pushes any meaningful regulatory clarity further out, reinforcing the investigation as unresolved, per Reuters.
Whether NHTSA will escalate the evaluation to a formal engineering analysis remains unclear. Whether the investigation will lead to a recall, software changes, or enforcement action stays undisclosed. The reviewed records’ frequency and severity of alleged violations constrain any agency characterization. What Tesla will say about FSD strategy and related liabilities on the upcoming earnings call remains unclear. The probe cannot establish traffic-law violations or crash causation without agency findings. How quickly NHTSA closes PE25012 and whether any remedy resembles an OTA recall remain open variables shaping the earnings-period regulatory calendar.